Anxiety- Worry-Frustration

Life is often difficult and painful. I have been moving my family to a new house all week and found myself getting frustrated and anxious and worrisome throughout the week. In fact, as I was taking a truck load of junk to the dump, a box filled with hundreds of papers fell out while I was cruising along at 60mph. Let's be completely honest, I may not have voiced the words @#%^ but they were in my heart. As I stopped the truck, and ran to pick up every paper, some men got out of their car to help me--this was evidence of God's grace and provision. I quickly realized I was hauling around more garbage than was in the back of the truck, in my heart.

One of the most-taught character traits in the Bible is trust in God. It is blatantly taught some 13 or more times, and when it is taught it is not a suggestion like we so often encourage each other to do--it is command. The opposite of trust in God is anxiety, worry, and frustration.

Anxiety is a sin for two reasons.

1. Anxiety is distrust in God. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus explains how our heavenly Father takes care of the birds of the air and everything else and that he cares for us so much more. Furthermore, Peter told us to cast all our care upon him for he cares for us. So, if I am full of anxiety I am saying to God, "you don't care for me."

2. Lack of acceptance for God's providence in our lives. God's providence may be simply defined as God's orchestrating all circumstances and events in his universe for his glory and the good of his people. Some of our anxiety, worry, and frustration comes from not so much distrust in God, but an unwillingness to submit to and cheerfully accept his agenda for me. For example when my flight gets cancelled I am immediately angered at all the buffoons who organized this flight. Psalm 139:16 has helped me deal with my frustrations, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." "Days ordained for me" refers not only to the length of my life, but to all circumstances of each day of my life.

I am learning that my anxiety, worry, and frustrations are sin, and not to be brushed aside and taken lightly as common reactions to difficult events in a fallen world. Here's how we can pray, "Lord I believe, help me with my unbelief! (Mark 9:24). "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will"(Matthew 26:39).